Serendipity

117

Emma's POV

"LAST SET." Vanessa Powell, the Arsenal women's High Performance coach, shouts from the middle of the UCLA weight room.

We're in LA now for the knockout stages of the Challenge Cup.

We play Sky Blue in our first knockout game.

"Good on this side Sharky." My wife says as she and I put weights on the leg press machine.

"Sweet." I say as I finish weighting up my side of the rack.

Once the correct amount of weight is on I sit down in the machine and do my final set of 8 reps.

"How much weight is that?" I hear Daan ask from next to me.

"450 pounds." Jessie says as I finish my reps.

Once I finish my reps I get out of the seat then I put the weights up.

"How?" Jordan asks then she pokes my legs.

"Stop it." I say and smack my cousins hand.

"Is that your max?" Katie asks.

"No." I say. "Before the marathon I maxed out at 500."

"Damn."

"Alright Ladies." Vanessa says getting everyone's attention. "The bus will be here in two hours so go shower and get some breakfast then meet back here at 9 so we can head to training."

Everyone nods then Jessie, Shadow, and I lead everyone to the women's soccer locker room where we'll be showering.

Once in the women's soccer locker room all of us shower and change into warm clothes since it's not gonna get above 60 today due to a cold front.

"So where's breakfast?" Lisa asks after everyone's dressed.

"Come on Shadow." I say then my service dog runs to me.

Once Shadow is with me I clip his leash onto his harness then myself, my wife, and my service dog start walking out of the locker room.

"Follow them." Jordan says then I hear our teammates follow my wife and I.

Jessie and I lead everyone out of the Acosta Athletic Complex and across campus to our favorite dining hall that the athletes use.

"Is it always this cold?" Leah asks.

"No." I say. "Only in the mornings is it close to being this cold, but never a full day."

"What kind of breakfast will this place have?" Jordan asks.

"Anything you want." Jessie says. "It's where the athletes eat at so the food is made to eat as you come in."

"They also have a buffet if you don't wanna wait." I say as we get to the Emma Harris dining hall.

"Wait why is it named after you?" Jordan asks.

"It use to be named after a racist and after the summer of 2020 they changed it to my name after the whole athletic department pushed for it."

"Well that's sick." Rinsola Babajide says.

We signed Rinsola from Liverpool after the Euro's ended.

"Very Sick." Jordan says as we head inside.

"Do my eye's deceive me?" I hear my favorite cook here say making me smile. "Emma Harris is that you?"

"It's me Mama D." I say then Debbie, otherwise known to the athletes as Mama D, comes over and hugs me.

"How you been baby?" Mama D says.